Live Like You Were Dyin': Familiar Secrets
by LindsayQ
Summary: It's now 2013 and Bo's been gone for a while now. Life has changed for everyone in the Duke family but in no way, however, has it gotten any easier. R&R - please.
1. Chapter 1

Title: LLYWD: Familiar Secrets (1/?)  
Author: LindsayQ  
Warning: Can't think of one. Other than it not being beta-ed yet.  
Summary: It's now 2013. Her daddy's been gone for a while now and life for Jessica has changed rather drastically in so many ways. However, in no way has it gotten any easier.  
Author's Note: Does anyone remember this story? I know it's been ages. Life, you know? I also lost interest in the Dukes for a long time, which in turn meant I had no interest in continuing a Dukes of Hazzard Story. However, I seemingly have rekindled my interest and figured people may like a slight update…so here it is! Part II.  
Disclaimer: The Dukes aren't mine. They belong to Gy Waldron and Warner Brothers. Everybody belongs to themselves. Except Jessica, she's mine.

P.S: I'm slowly re-editing part I so watch for that I guess.

* * *

Like he had for the past 7 years, in the very early morning hours of April 8th, Luke found himself in the cemetery, staring down at the granite tombstone with Bo's name and information on it, feeling the slight heat of the rising sun on his back as it rose slowly over the distant Blue Ridge Mountains, and holding tight to a set of 3 orange dahlias.

"Hey cousin," he whispered as he crouched carefully and set the flowers down on the tombstone right beside the Italicized B of Bo's name. He then ran a gentle hand over the "B", "happy birthday."

Now, usually Luke was alone during his annual pilgrimage to visit his cousin on his birthday. But, this year, as he slowly straightened himself up and turned his head to the left, he was able to look down a line of friends and family instead of a seemingly endless row of headstones. This year Cooter and Roscoe, Daisy and Enos (who'd returned permanently to Hazzard 2 years prior), Jessica and baby Bo had all decided to join him.

He sighed audioably and then reached out, took Jessica's hand in his and squeezed it tight. When she squeezed back he turned his attention on her and was just able to watch her lift Bo a little higher up her chest and then lay her cheek atop his snow white curls – focus solely on her father's grave.

His attention then floated to the Strates. Daisy had folded herself against Enos' chest; Enos had her wrapped in a loose one armed hug – Daisy stared at the unerringly at the tombstone while her husband stared unerringly down at her. Finally, Cooter and Roscoe brought up the opposite end of the semi-circle. Both stood at a comfortable distance but still close enough to each other to feel the other's presence and both had their head bowed and eyes closed in silent prayer.

Luke turned back to the tombstone and stared.

"He'd be near 60, huh?" Daisy spoke up after a long stretch of silence. "Sure gonna miss out on one heck of a party, huh?"

The small group chuckled quietly at the comment and then Roscoe spoke up. With a voice much stronger than a man his age usually had, "Ain't nobody did anything for my 60th."

Jessica leaned forward ever so slightly, but kept a protective hand against Bo's back, and said, "_I_ wasn't even born for another 2 years, Roscoe."

Roscoe's eyes twinkled with humour beneath his ever present cowboy hat as he turned his attention to her and smirked. "You hush."

The group laughed again and resettled their eyes on the tombstone.

It's quite a while before the silence is broken again. And when it is it's by the only blond, and youngest Duke in the group, 14 month old Bo.

"Mama," he lifted his tiny head off his mother shoulder and looked at her with his granddad's eyes and continued, "home?"

Jessica nodded ever so slightly and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Ok, baby." She then looked to the group around her, purposely ignored the sad smiles she received, and asked, "who's up for barbeque?"

-

As soon as Jessica walked in the front door, holding tight to Bo's hands as he tottered in front of her, Enos came from around the corner making puttering airplane noises with mouth, swooped the toddler up into his arms and rushed away from the front door. She paused and watched the two disappear further into the house, heading for the backdoor and listened as Bo's happy squeals filled the otherwise quiet house.

An arm suddenly came around her shoulder and drew her close and before she had time to startle her Aunt's amused voice sounded. "Never really do grow up, do they, sugar?"

"No," she agreed quickly, "no they don't." and then let herself be led toward the kitchen by her Aunt.

000

Jessica startled as a steaming mug of coffee slid into her view then nodded her thanks to her Aunt as Daisy sat in the chair opposite hers with a similar mug cradled in her hand.

Daisy's voice was quiet but strong as she said, "your daddy would be proud of you, you know?"

Jessica nodded again, but didn't speak and instead just lowered her attention again and slid the mug closer to her.

Daisy was silent for almost 3 minutes before she spoke again. "Now c'mon, Jess'," her free hand slid out to cover Jessica's free hand. "What's really got ya? I know it just ain't about your daddy."

She was quiet for another 2 minutes before she sighed and raised her head just enough to stare at her Aunt through her fringe. "Manny's divorce – how'd she find out Jared was cheating?"

Instead of answering Daisy pulled her hand back with a muffled gasp. "You don't think Bri-" she tilted her head to the side a bit. "He's not." She straightened her head again and blinked. "That boy loves you, Jessica. He wouldn't-"

"That's just it," she laughed slightly as she bowed her head once more and stared intently into the depth of her coffee cup. "I don't know if he wouldn't." She then raised her head once again and, with a shuddered sigh, focused all her attention on Daisy. "I don't know if he is. I just think he is-."

Then, just like that, Jessica's lip curled with sudden, unbridled anger as she slammed a fist down on the table. "He's doin' something."

"Now, now, sugar, shhh. Calm down, now and tell me why you think Brian would be cheatin'." The next words to come out of her mouth were barely above a whisper, "has he said or done anything to you or Bo, Jessica?"

Her eyes grew to the size of saucers as she sputtered. "No! No! Nothing like that." The sudden sag of Daisy's shoulders wasn't lost on her as she worked on trying to word what she wanted to say. "He's just been…different, I guess."

"How'd you mean?"

"Right about the time Bo started walking. He just shifted. His body language, facial expression, personality, sex drive." She exhaled suddenly, "we haven't had sex since 2 days before New Year's Eve."

"Maybe he's tired or something. How is he with Bo?"

"Perfect." Jessica shrugged. "It's just with me he's different." She forced a pause in the conversation as she took a slow swig of her coffee. And then waited till she set it back on the table before she continued, "I've tried to talk to him about it. He just says its stress."

Daisy placed a hand atop hers again, "I'm sure that's all it is, sweetheart."

Jessica blinked unevenly and began running a finger over the NASCAR logo on the side of her mug. "I keep tryin' to tell myself that I-that Bo and me- that we'd be fine by ourselves. But I just can't-"

"Awe, honey."

"I'd miss him too much, Aunt Daisy." Her eyes began to burn with unshed tears as she stopped tracing the logo with her finger and started rubbing the side of her cup with her hand. "I love him too much to leave. I don't know-"

They both looked up suddenly when the back door clicked and in stepped Luke, carrying two plates full of barbequed steak and vegetables. The easy smile fell from his face as soon as he noticed the look he was getting. "I walked in on somethin', didn't I?"

Both women shook their heads, though Jessica's movements held a bit more of a hysterical edge as she fought to keep her attention on her uncle and not turn away in misplaced shame.

"No, sugar, you haven't." Daisy cast a look to Jessica and then turned to Luke again and smiled. "Jesse an' I were just talkin'."

Luke looked between the women a couple times before he nodded and laid the plates on the table. "We figured so we decided to bring your shares in here."

Jessica smiled her thanks and then swiped at her nose. "Do ya need me to come out and help with Bo, Uncle Luke?"

"Nope! We've got that covered." He pointed out the window.

From where they sat in the kitchen, Daisy and Jessica could easily watch as Cooter and Roscoe crowded around Enos, watching with fond smiles, as he fed the toddler perched carefully on his knee. Bo's attention however, seemed to be almost completely focused on his fingers, as every time Enos would pull the spoon from his mouth to go for another spoonful, he'd work on getting as many fingers in his mouth as he could. Only to have them gently pulled from his mouth by Enos in order to give him his food. He'd quickly replace the spoon with his hand again and force it in beside the food. Every time. Happily oblivious to the mess he was making on himself, the table and Enos.

Inside, Bo's mother tsked and shook her head again, "look at the mess he's makin'."

"Does it really look like Enos minds, Jess'?" Luke questioned. "With as many grandkids as that guy has?" He jerked his head skyward with a smirk. "C'mon now."

"He's right, sugar. Mushed peas and potatoes on his slacks are the furthest thing from his mind right now. He's lovin' every minute of it."

"Lots of practice, huh?" Jessica smirked.

Daisy nodded.

"What's it for Danny now? 4? Plus Manny's 2 and Hailey's twins."

"Goodness," Daisy muttered. "When you put it like that –" she looked quickly to Luke, "when did we get so old, Lucas?"

Luke grinned and then exclaimed in an overly loud voice, "Speak for yourself! I'm still almost as spry as the day I turned 25!" He pounded his chest and then doubled over with the force of a few painful sounding coughs.

The action seemed to have the desired reaction as both Daisy and Jessica broke off into a small round of laughter.

Daisy took that as her queue to rise from her chair and join her husband and friends in the backyard. She picked up her plate from where Luke had just set it down, and then patted Jessica on the shoulder a couple times as she passed and then stood in front of her cousin and put a hand on her hip. "Ok, "Mr. Spry 25", lets go see how the rest of the old fogies are getting on, huh?"

Luke smirked again and then took the plate off Daisy and offered his arm. "You wound me, Dais'. You really do."

The amused burst of laughter from Daisy followed the couple from the house as they headed for the trio and toddler sitting at the deck table, arm and arm.

Jessica watched the group interact for a bit with a worrisome smile on her face and then looked back down at her swiftly cooling coffee and began to wonder when her life had gotten so complicated.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: LLYWD: Beginning Again: Familiar Secrets (2/?)  
Author: LindsayQ  
Warning: Can't think of one. Other than it not being beta-ed yet.

By the time the sun had started to set the group had long since migrated inside to the living room. Roscoe on the Lazy Boy, Cooter and Enos sitting comfortably on either end of the couch with Bo in between, supported by scrunched up jackets and a room full of watchful eyes, Luke and Daisy on the loveseat with Jessica sitting on a kitchen chair beside the loveseat, sharing the arm rest with her aunt.

"When does Brian get back, Jessica?"

She turned her eyes to Roscoe and with a small smile that didn't reach her eyes, "He gets back Tuesday and then leaves for the trials in Talladega on Friday."

Roscoe nodded and laid his head back against the headrest, "that's good." He sighed contently and crossed his hands on his lap, "real good."

Jessica smiled again and then listened as Cooter began to speak, "I still find it amazing that a boy his size can fit in one of those cars."

"Yup," she agreed easily, "it is."

"Now, I may have aged some since I was in my prime," Enos started suddenly. The seriousness in his voice belying the gentle eyes currently focused on the toddler beside him, "but they didn't make me a detective for nothin'-"

The smile dropped away from Daisy's face in a flash when she realized where her husband was going. She bowed her head slowly and breathed, "Enos,"

He ignored her and looked to Jessica. "What's really goin' on between you two that's got you soundin' and actin' so down?"

"Nothing!" Jessica replied quickly and then realized she'd answered way too quickly when Roscoe turned his attention to her, no longer content with sitting back. Now he wanted answers. Once a cop, always a cop; even if said cop had spent his entire career in Hazzard County, "really, Roscoe. We're fine." She looked to Enos again. "I promise."

"Jess'?" Every looked to Luke when he spoke. "Is this what you and Daisy were talkin' about earlier in the kitchen?"

"Luke, I really-" Daisy started but quickly shut her mouth when the atmosphere in the room suddenly shifted. Even Bo looked up and to his mother.

Luke shifted in his seat, intent on having a clear view of his niece at all times as he spoke. "Do you think Brian is cheating on you, Jessica?"

Her mouth suddenly ran dry, her pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints and her hands gained a slight tremour that she quickly quailed when she clasped them together in her lap. And even though she tried, Jessica found herself unable to look her uncle in the face any longer and bowed her head.

The uneasiness was palpable as each man reacted to what they had just discovered. Daisy took the chance the shocked lull gave her and reached out and rubbed her nieces shoulder in a show of support.

"I shoulda shot that boy when I had the chance!" Roscoe proclaimed, bringing a fist down on the arm of the chair. Remembering the time he nearly shot the man in question after catching him walk in behind Jessica, not knowing they were courting.

"When'd you find out, kid?"

"How long have you known?"

"Who else knows?"

Her hand came up to quiet the questions and then she raised her head. "I don't know. I just think he is. I might be wrong-" "And I think you are, sweetheart." Daisy interjected quietly, "but I honestly, _really_ think he is," her head bowed again as she admitted, "And it scares me to death."

"You've nothin' to worry about, Jesse," Enos answered softly and without missing a beat. When his spoke again, however, it was with the most malice Jessica had ever heard from her Uncle before and probably ever would again, "Brian on the other hand." Cooter and Roscoe both immediately nodded and voiced their whole hearted agreement as Luke slid closer to the edge of the loveseat, closer to Enos but still facing Jessica.

"Enos Strate!" Daisy exclaimed, "You will not touch an ever lovin' hair on that boys head!"

"Boy, I'd like to-" Roscoe started but quickly shut his mouth when he noticed the look he was getting from Daisy.

"Look," Jessica stood suddenly, effectively ending the conversation, "let me go put Bo to sleep and then I'll come back out and tell you everything I know, awright?"

Everyone in the room turned their eyes to the youngest Duke, who had settled against Cooter's side and was trying rather valiantly to keep his eyes open. However, every time Bo would blink, his eyelids would droop just that little bit more. Cooter looked down at the dozing boy beside him and smirked fondly before whispering, "I actually forgot he was there."

"We all did." Luke exhaled slowly and then closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I promise, I'll talk." Jessica waited for Cooter to extract Bo from his side and then took him from the man's arms and settled him against her shoulder. She turned slightly and looked to Luke, "just give me a bit, ok?"

The older adults watched the youngest disappear down the hall with her son before they turned their attentions back to each other and sighed in unison.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: LLYWD: Beginning Again: Familiar Secrets (3/?)  
Author: LindsayQ  
Warning: Can't think of one. Other than it not being beta-ed yet.  
Summary: Life doesn't get any easier the next day.  
Disclaimer: In first chapter.

April 9th

As if sensing that his mom needed the sleep, Bo didn't rise the next day until almost 10. By the time Jessica got him washed dressed and fed it was already lunch time.

"All done!" Jessica exclaimed, taking Bo's plate to the sink. "Can you say done, baby?"

Bo squealed happily then banged his palms against the tray. "Da!"

Jessica laughed as she slid back on the seat facing Bo's highchair. "Right on, my man!" She inhaled quickly and ran a cloth over the boys face and then pulled it away and exhaled. "There!" she leaned forward and placed a kiss on his forehead, "As shiny as a new penny."

Then the door bell rang and they both startled. "C'mon, baby," carefully, but quickly, she extricated the baby from his highchair, "lets go see who's at the door."

"Ready?" she asked as soon as her hand was on the doorknob, "1…2…3!" she pulled it open quickly to reveal her Uncle Luke on the other side. She gasped and looked to Bo, "who's that?"

The boy looked between his mother and granddad then back to his mother and again back to his granddad and then shoved his hand in his mouth. He then rocked a bit side to side as he stared at Luke and then proceed to throw himself in Luke direction.

Both adults laughed. Even as one fought to keep a hold of him and the other rushed to catch him.

As soon as Luke had a good enough hold on him, he kissed the baby's temple and held him against his side. He then leaned forward ever so slightly and placed a quick kiss on Jessica's cheek and then stepped inside.

"Now, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you've come here to "check up on me" as it were, but because you know I don't take too kindly to being overtly coddled you're going to say it's just a plain ol' social call. Correct?"

Luke, at least has the decency to bow his head for a couple seconds before looking back up to Jessica with a smile. "See, if your daddy had your smarts, we wouldn't have gotten in so much trouble all the time."

"Uh huh," she nodded obligingly, not believing her uncle for one minute. One of a Duke's many talents was finding trouble. Intelligence wasn't going to stop that. Look at her, "c'mon to the living room."

"What do you say, buddy?" Luke looked to the toddler at his side, "should we follow your momma or go our own way?"

"Ma!"

"Ha! Just like your grandfather! Always followed wherever women went!"

"Ma!"

"Going, I'm going! Jeeze," He kissed the side Bo's head and then ran a quick hand through his curls, "demanding little thing, ain't ya?"

Bo nodded his head as if he had understood what Luke had just said. "Ma!"

He kept his attention on Bo as he walked into the living room, "Jessica-Lynn Dalton," he playfully admonished, smiling at Bo, "when did my sweet, quiet angel of a grandson become-" the words died in his throat when he turned and saw Jessica sitting at the furthest end of the couch from them, chewing on her thumbnail; seemingly in her own world. Something her daddy did when he was only really worried about something.

"Ok," he whispered, "down you go, ok?" he kissed Bo's head again, just above his right eyebrow, and watched as he crawled off into the corner of the room where all his toys were piled before he turned eyes back on his niece. "Jesse," he called her name before he sat as gingerly as possible at the other end of the couch.

Jessica jumped suddenly when she felt the couch shift and turned wide eyes on Luke. She sighed almost immediately and rolled her eyes skyward when she realized she'd been caught off in her own mind.

"C'mon now, sweetheart, stop your worrying. Everything'll be fine. It'll-"

"He sent me an E-Mail yesterday."

"Who? Brian? What'd he say?"

"Racing," Jessica shrugged, "time trials, the car, stuff like that. He apologized for not writing in a while, said he missed us and had something for you. He wants to talk when he gets home."

"Well that's alright. Maybe he wants-" his words stuttered to an abrupt stop when he grabbed his left arm and began massaging his forearm with the heal of his hand.

"You alright?" Jessica rose slightly from the couch. "What's wrong?"

"Just a pulled muscle or something in my arm." He shook his arm a couple times then held his shoulder and rotated the arm a few times. "Its fine."

"How long has it been bugging you?"

"A few days," Luke admitted, then shook his head to dispel the sudden worry he saw in his nieces eyes. "I'm old, Jesse, it's going to take more than just a day or two to heal. I'm fine, trust me, ok?"

"I'm sure I have Advil. I'll be right back."

"Jesse, I'm-"

"Two minutes!"

Luke watched Jessica sprint from the living room and then shook his head and sighed. He looked to Bo in the corner, "your momma's crazy, you know that?"

Bo grinned as if he understood and yelped, "ma!"

"Two minutes, Bo!" Jessica yelled back, making Luke laugh and shake his head.

With Advil in hand, on her way back to the living room, Jessica paused at the door when someone knocked at the door.

"I wanna say I'm surprised, but," she stepped away from the open door to let her Aunt and Uncle step in. Enos kissed her on the forehead as he passed and Daisy squeezed her shoulder as she passed. She shut the door tight behind them and turned back to the couple with a smile on her face, "I'm not. Not really." She gestured toward the living room with her head. "I've already had one Duke check up with me today, why not bring the rest?"

Enos looked towards the living room, "Lucas is here?"

She nodded.

"'right."

The two woman still standing in the hall watched as Enos walked like a man on a mission to the living room. Jessica looked to Daisy; Daisy shrugged and then looked down at the bottle of pills in her hand. "Ya have a headache, honey?"

"Oh," she looked at the bottle and then to her aunt and shook her head, "no, they're for Uncle Luke. He says his arm's hurt for a while. I'm going to give him a couple to see if that helps."

"Good girl,"

She shrugged as she smirked in a self deprecating way, "I try."

"You are, sugar," Daisy's arm wrapped quickly around her waist. "Don't you ever doubt that. He needs someone to look after him. You do a wonderful job!"

Jessica nodded obediently as Daisy drew away again. "I got an E-Mail from Brian last night."

"Oh yeah?" she nodded again, "what'd he say?"

"He wants to talk when he gets home."

"See!"

Jessica couldn't help but level a stare in her aunt's direction. "That's not always a good thing, Aunt Daisy."

"It will be!" Daisy exclaimed, ever the optimist. "Just you wait!"

"Yeah, I-" the phone in kitchen cut off what she was going to say. "Excuse me."

Daisy nodded and headed off in the direction of the living room.

The pills in the bottle rattled as Jessica slammed the bottle down on the tiled counter as she reached for the receiver with her other hand. "Hello?"

All three adults looked up when they noticed movement from the other side of the room, and all three adults shot to their feet and over to Jessica when they noticed how pale she'd become in the few minutes she'd been in the kitchen.

Luke and Enos latched on to either arm and quickly but carefully ferried her towards the couch while Daisy skittered behind them, driven by the same concern for her niece as the men, but with her hands full with her sleepy nephew there was little she could do.

As soon as they had Jessica settled on the couch the questions started. "What happened, Jess?"

"Is Brian, sweetie? What's wrong?"

The fog cleared from Jessica's eyes almost instantaneously as her attention shot to Enos, who'd elected himself to stand guard in front of his niece instead of sit beside her, and said, "Turn on CBS-turn on the TV, please."

Luke looked to Daisy who looked to Enos and then ran her hand down Jessica's back and nodded, "ok, honey. We will."

Seconds later the room is filled by the sound of a female news reporter. Beside her, in a little square at the side of her head was a picture of a car engulfed in flames. It didn't take anyone longer than a second to realize whose car that was.

Daisy gasped as her hand flew to her mouth. Luke just stared at the screen silently as Enos bowed his head and squeezed the bridge of his nose.

The news reporters voice floats back into their consciousness just in time for them to hear, "_'fiery crash into the sidewall on the 143rd turn of the Sprint Cup at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Dalton was rescued from his #78 Home Depot's Chevy SS, within seconds and airlifted to Atlanta Medical Center where he remains in critical condition. More details-_"

"There!" Daisy jumped, squeezing Jessica's shoulder with her free arm. "There, baby! He's still with us! He's still here!"

Luke nodded in agreement and quickly shifted in his seat and took Jessica's hand, "do you want one of us to drive you, Jess?"

"Yes," she nodded quickly and then turned to Daisy. "Will you? Please?"

Daisy blinked then looked to Luke and then up to Enos, who nodded, and then back down to Jessica and nodded, "sure will, honey. We'll put Enos and Luke on babysitter duty, ok?"

Jessica nodded and then cast her aunt a shaky smile, "thanks."

Daisy smiled back, rose to her feet carefully and handed off the dozing child to her husband. The two then shared a quick kiss and then Daisy stepped away to let Jessica up. "He should go down soon and be out for a while-"

As soon as Jesica stood up Luke shot up, "you'll call when you get there?"

"Yes, of course." Daisy smiled at her cousin. "We'll be fine, Luke, I promise."

Luke nodded sheepishly and sat back down.


End file.
